Saturday, November 28, 2015

Let
us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who
make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust

I am
grateful and feel my spirits lift each day when I pull into the parking
lot at the library and see the beautiful handiwork of the Raymond
Beautification Committee. The Committee installs flowering annuals in flower
boxes and the barrel under the library sign in May and maintains them on a
weekly basis through the season into late fall. They change out the spring
plants for fall mums in October, and end the season with festive holiday
greens in the barrel under the sign and plant a few spring flowering bulbs in
the fall for color early in the year as soon as the snow has melted. And that
is just at the library. If you look up and down 302 in Raymond you will see
other beautiful results of their dedicated work.

Over the next couple of weeks the Raymond Beautification
Committee, in collaboration with the Raymond Revitalization Committee, hopes to
raise over $1,800 to fund 70 3-foot diameter wreaths for the ornamental light
poles on Raymond's Route 302 corridor. Currently members of the RBC are
visiting all the Raymond business people on Route 302 to personally request
contributions, but also hope individuals, who will enjoy the wreaths as they
drive along the corridor, will consider supporting the project. Wreath
donations can be made to: Town of Raymond, 401 Webbs Mills Road, Raymond, ME
04071, with a memo saying "for Beautification Committee." Any amount
is very much appreciated!

Raymond
Village Library is celebrating the season with bells ringing in hopes for
happiness and good health by presenting the
following programs:

On
Sunday, December 6, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. decorate the season with a
whimsical woven bell. Bring your bucket, scissors, old towel,
awl, clothespins, pencil, measuring tape and packing tool, if you have
them and make one bell at the library and take materials home to make another.
The fee is $20. Space is limited so call 655-4283 to reserve your spot. Payment
must be made upon registration.

Deborah
Gideon, a Raymond resident will be presenting Winter Health with Bees and Herbs
on December 9 at 6:30 p.m. She will share her knowledge and experience of healthy
home remedies just in time for winter. Join us to learn about herbs and
honeybee products that can keep you healthy during the cold and flu season.
You'll sample some delicious "medicine" and take home some recipes to
make your own remedies. This program is free to the public. Please
call the library at 655-4283 to reserve your spot.

Question from Paula Pock: I have a question for Sara Moore
Enlightened Horizons: My dog Baxter- (tan colored terrier mix), was injured
months ago after chasing the neighbor's dog across the street. He has been
checked multiple times by the vet and they give him the O.K, but he continues to
whine when moving and is not able move like he used to. My question is: Are you
still experiencing pain from the injury? If so, where?

Answer from Sara:
Thank you for your question about Baxter. I don't get a lot of pain, but I do
have a strange feeling at the very base of my esophagus. I'm not a vet, so I
don't have any medical experience, but he's saying it would be like having a
slightly paralyzed diaphragm. I want to take a deep breath, but when I do it
feels like my belly is already somewhat full of air.

Is it painful? No. It feels like I have a full belly and
am trying to make it deflate a little.

After he tells you this, I get this huge smile on my
face. I see him kissing your lips and you not minding it. He says you know it's
love because you don't normally let animals do this to you. It's a very loving
gesture!

If
she had to make another bow tonight, she might just lose her mind. Sophie
expertly tied another bow with floral wire and set it aside. She had to go
home. Had to stop the madness. She looked around her little floral shop and
smiled. It was warm and homey with the white twinkle lights and floral
arrangements all around the room.

She
didn’t care that it was Thanksgiving Day and she should be home baking or doing
something for her family’s big celebration. Thanksgiving got lost in the
shuffle of the Christmas rush for Sophie.

The
clock on the wall chimed three in the afternoon and she stretched her arms and
rolled her head to stretch her neck muscles.

Thanksgiving.

One
more bow and she’d head home to bake. She tossed the finished bow onto the
pile, put on her winter coat that she really didn’t need, since it was still
warm despite it being November in Maine and headed home.

She
flicked off the lights, closed and locked the door and climbed into her very
used hatchback car that read The Enchanted Florist on the side.

It
was just getting dark as she pulled into the driveway leading to her small
house on Raymond Pond. She took the corner and jammed on the brakes.

There
was a truck in the driveway and a man standing on a ladder his arms reaching
above his head, a swatch of tan skin was exposed where his black T-shirt and
his jeans didn’t meet.

She
hadn’t scheduled any maintenance and who knew what this guy was doing to her
roof.

Putting
the car in gear, she rolled forward making sure to block his truck so that if
he was trying to break into her house, he wouldn’t get away without a fight.

He
turned to look when she turned off the engine. Tucking something under her
eves, he brushed his hands together and started down the ladder.

“Excuse
me,” Sophie said. “What are you doing to my house?” As she walked closer she
could see exactly what he’d been doing. Around each window, the door and along
the outline of the house, his man had put colored Christmas lights.

“Hello,
ma’am. I’m doing my job.”

His
voice was like silk and she felt her irritation grow that he thought because he
was good looking and sounded like a young Sean Connery that he could mess with
her house.

“I
didn’t ask for my house to be decorated. You might have the wrong place.”

Despite
the darkness setting in, she thought she saw him turn a little red. He walked
to his truck, opened the door and pulled out a work order. “It says right here
45 Beaver Point Lane, Raymond. Next to your door it says 45, correct?”

“Yes.
Let me see that. Who hired you?” She hurried over to where he was standing and
pulled the paper out of his hand. He was right.

On
the paper it read, “Decorate full house, trees, add wreathes and a Christmas
tree and decorations inside. It wasn’t signed.”

“The
address is right, but there is still a mistake. I don’t do Christmas. Not here
anyway,” she told the man.

“What
do you mean, you don’t do Christmas. Everyone loves Christmas.”

“Not
me. Not here. To me Christmas is the means to an end.” She sighed. “Why am I
telling you this? Just take the lights down.”

He
shook his head. She got a good look at him. He was maybe in his late thirties,
military cut hair and tan. His muscles bulged under his shirt and she wondered
for a second if he was here for another reason other than putting up lights.

“I’ll
have to talk to the boss about this. I can’t just take them down because you
said to. I have no proof that you actually live here.” He cocked his head to
the side.

“Who
do you work for? And what is your name. I’ll call your boss directly.”

“Ma’am.
It’s Thanksgiving, so why not wait until tomorrow to call him. There’s no sense
disturbing him while he’s with his family.”

She
thought about that for a second. She could wait until tomorrow. “Hey, why are
you here on Thanksgiving and not stuffing yourself with turkey and the
fixings?”

He
crossed his arms. “I’m working. Some people work on holidays.”

“Defensive
much? Police and firefighters work on holidays. Guys who string lights don’t
have to.”

He
rolled his eyes at her.

She
shook her head at him. “Listen, I’ve been working all day and I don’t have time
to argue with you about this. I have to make rolls or something to take to
dinner with my family. Just leave everything and I’ll call your boss tomorrow.
I’ll take care of this.”

“I’d
like to finish what’s left. I won’t bother you,” he said, his voice back to the
melty sound meant to seduce her into doing what he wanted.

“Fine.
Do what you need to do tonight.” Shoot. It worked. He was staying.

She
moved her car and went inside. She cracked open three containers of Grands
biscuits plopped them on a cookie sheet and threw them in the oven that was not
preheated.

Cooking
wasn’t her forte.

She
toed off her shoes and went upstairs to change into clothes that would satisfy
her mother, whom she loved, but didn’t always live up to her standards.

She
loved living where she did. Her view from her bedroom was the lake and her
neighbors didn’t have the right angle see in. She didn’t even have shades on
her windows.

As
she started to pull off her shirt she looked out at the lake, but saw a man
instead.

She
shrieked, then ran to the window, threw it open and glared at him.

“You’re
done. Get off my property.”

He
tried to suppress a smirk.“I’m sorry
Ma’am. I was trying to get the lights up on this side of the house. It was what
I had left. I thought you were downstairs.”

“Obviously,
I’m not,” she retorted.

“You
need curtains, Ma’am.”

“Listen…whatever
your name is…what I need is for you to go away and not come back. You’ll have
to make your living at someone else’s expense.”

“I’ll
leave, but I’ll be back tomorrow to finish the job. I always finish the job.
And by the way, my name is Darron.”

The holidays are upon us with
Thanksgiving kicking off this week which, for many, means the start of the
holiday shopping season. Black Friday is the notable start of the holiday
shopping season, with many deals and bargains to reel customers in as early as
12 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Some people choose not to partake in this
occasion, as it means waking up in the wee hours of the morning just to fight
off crowds to maybe get the one item they set out to purchase…as well as
interfering with family time and relaxation. The brave souls who do intend to
shop, may see it as an opportunity to take advantage of some great bargains, as
well as the idea of tradition in many families.

Windham is no stranger to the idea of
Black Friday and many local stores are participating. Most stores here in
Windham will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and opening early Friday morning. Sears
in Windham will be opening at 12:01a.m. for early morning shoppers to take
advantage of their many Doorbusters and hot buy sale items. U.S. Cellular is
having a four hour sale beginning at 8:00 a.m. and is offering an incredible
deal on devices. Bull Moose will be opening at 6 a.m. on Friday morning and
will have great deals on popular new releases such as $5 DVDs and $30 video
games. Walmart opens at 12:01a.m. on Friday and will have 50 percent off deals
throughout the store on electronics, toys, etc.

Sears opens at 12:01a.m. as
well. Lowe’s will open at 5 a.m. on Friday morning and is scheduled to have 40
percent off major appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and dish
washers. Radio Shack is one of the few stores that is open on Thanksgiving,
with hours of 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. They have many good deals on headphones,
headsets, and electronic toys. Marshalls, a popular discount clothing store
here in Windham, will remain closed on Thanksgiving and will re-open during
regular business hours on Friday. Other local businesses offering Black Friday
deals are Sedona Wellness and Creativity Center in Raymond, PNF in Windham and
Bonny Eagle Jewelers in Standish.

If you, or your family, are looking to
take advantage of some Black Friday deals this week, consider stopping by these
local stores instead of heading to the crowded and hectic Maine Mall area. Not
only will these shops, most likely, be less busy, but they will also offer the
same deals as those in Portland. No matter where you choose to shop, be mindful
of the other shoppers around you and the employees who are working hard to
provide these deals. Stay hydrated, get some rest before you head out, and be
patient…Black Friday can bring out the crazy in people so make sure to go in
with a level head!

Thursday, November 26, 2015

The Windham Eagle student of the week is
7.5-year-old Molly Nielson from Windham Primary School. She is in Mrs. Jenny
Hopkins class and even though she’s in the primary school, she is planning on
attending college.

Molly lives with her mom and dad and a
cat named Fisgig.

She likes to sing, dance, cheer, watch
movies and do art. Art and music are her favorite classes.

“Molly is a very involved student. She
cheers at football games. She dances. She follows the primary school rules. She
makes others happy with her words, actions and attitude.

In her free time, Molly likes to play
outside and she likes to do crafts.